Opening of Sakhalin and Iturup in 8 days

Discover the stunning landscapes of Sakhalin and Iturup!

You can stroll through the streets of cozy Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, enjoy local cuisine and feel the influence of Japanese culture. Majestic volcanoes, thermal springs, endless beaches and amazing gastronomic discoveries await you.

An unforgettable experience is guaranteed!

Location

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
from
$1,821
$1,533
+ tickets to the starting point of the tour
No need to pay now
Duration
8 Days
7 Nights
Departures
  • Group departures
    • Dates for next season
    • 11 – 18 June, 2025
    • 18 – 25 June, 2025
    • 2 – 9 July, 2025
    • 9 – 16 July, 2025
or
Accommodation
  • Hotel
    3 nights
Comfort
  • Basic+
  • Upscale
  • Premium
Difficulty
Easy
Suitable for everyone
Group
Up to 17 people
Minimum age
7 years old
Group meet at
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Contact the tour coordinator
Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)
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Tour highlights

Thermal springs
Get the opportunity to relax and recuperate in relaxing hot baths
A variety of flavors
Enjoy Sakhalin cuisine to the fullest during outdoor lunches and try eggs boiled in a thermal stream with red caviar
Aniva Atmospheric Lighthouse
Exploring an architectural masterpiece among the raging waves
Picturesque White Cliffs
Take a walk along the gray-graphite sandy beach and take beautiful photos against the background of the famous rocks
Volcanic splendor
Visit the Baransky Volcano with its turquoise lakes, fumaroles and mineral streams, as well as the Yankito Plateau with its bizarrely frozen lava flows
An unusual master class
Learn how to open oysters and taste them

Itinerary

  • Day 1 - Arrival in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and sightseeing tour

    Arrival in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. 

    Meeting at the airport. Transfer to the hotel, accommodation.

    Check-in at the hotel from 14:00 (early check-in is possible with an additional 50% / room / day).

    Sightseeing tour of the city (2 hours, starting approximately at 15:00, the exact time will be indicated two days before the tour).
     
    During the tour, you will learn how the city grew and developed during the period of Japanese rule (at that time, it was called Toyohara), you will see preserved Japanese buildings built in the same distant times, including one of the oldest buildings built in 1908 and the most striking buildings built in 1937. 
     
    Get acquainted with the most beautiful places of the modern, cozy city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and the main attractions of the island capital. Visit three squares – Lenin, Victory and Glory, as well as Chekhov Center Square.
     
    Welcome dinner in Sakhalin style. We will begin our journey with an introduction to Sakhalin cuisine.
     
    At dinner, you will taste the famous hemultan soup, salads from Sakhalin wild plants.
     
    We will discuss the details of the trip over dinner.
     
    Transfer to the hotel after dinner. Rest.
  • Day 2 - Departure to O. Iturup
  • Day 3 - Local History Museum, Kasatka Bay, Mirrored beach, Chertovka rock and thermal springs
  • Day 4 - Jeep tour along the coast to the White Cliffs, thermal springs "Hot waters"
  • Day 5 - Jeep tour to the foot of the Baransky volcano and rest in the thermal springs
  • Day 6 - Jeep tour to the Yankito lava plateau and departure to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
  • Day 7 - Aniva Lighthouse and lunch with oysters at Busse Lagoon
  • Day 8 - The end of the program and departure from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Difficulty
Suitable for everyone

Accommodation

Accommodation
  • Hotel
    3 nights
Comfort
  • Basic+
  • Upscale
  • Premium

The tour provides accommodation in hotels and guest houses:

  • in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk — 3 nights in a hotel to choose from;
  • on the fr. Iturup — 4 nights in a standard room of the Kasatka Guest house or a similar accommodation facility.

Guaranteed reservation of a room with amenities at the Kasatka Guest House is possible. The cost is 6,000 rubles per room.

The cost of the tour for 1 person, depending on the accommodation in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, RUB.:

HotelsFor double occupancySurcharge for single occupancyChild under 12 years old in double occupancy
Mega Palace Hotel 4*158 18924 300155 189
SQUIRREL 3*152 31821 200149 318
"Squirrel" 3* or Mega Palace 4* or 3 nights
"Squirrel" 3*

A three-star hotel with an unusual name "Belka" is located in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. 

For the convenience of guests, there is parking, free internet access, a safe and laundry facilities. Those who want to relax after a busy day are invited to visit the sauna.

The hotel's room stock is represented by 46 categories, which vary in size and comfort level. Despite this, all rooms are equipped with comfortable furniture to make your stay as comfortable as possible. Each room has a private bathroom with a shower.

Breakfast is served in the hotel's restaurant in the morning. Lunch and dinner can also be ordered or you can visit nearby cafes and restaurants.

In the immediate vicinity of the hotel there are such attractions as the Regional Museum of Local Lore, the Chekhov Theater Center and the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ.

2 more photos
Another option
Mega Palace 4*

This hotel is located on the Far Eastern island of Sakhalin, at the foot of the Susunai Mountains.

It offers a restaurant with a varied menu, a spa and a nightclub.

The center of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is just a 15-minute drive away.

The multi-storey Mega Palace Hotel offers its guests modern rooms and apartments with antique-style furniture.

Each room is equipped with cable TV, a safe and a minibar.

The hotel's spa area includes a fitness center, a hot tub and a sauna.

In the evening, guests can visit a karaoke bar or a nightclub with DJ performances.

A buffet breakfast is served every morning.

The Marquis Restaurant serves Russian, European and Japanese cuisine, while Serbian cuisine can be tasted at the Grill in the Sky restaurant. The hotel also has an Asian restaurant "Asia" and a Japanese restaurant BamBoo.

Guests can relax at the Duke Karaoke Bar.

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Airport is a 30-minute drive from the hotel. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Central Train Station is a 20-minute drive away.

8 more photos
Another option
Kasatka Guest House
The Kasatka Hotel started its work in May 2022. 
 
The hotel has 4 rooms with two separate beds and a bathroom, as well as two showers for four rooms. 
 
The hotel also has 2 rooms with one bed and in-room amenities and one triple room that can accommodate four people. 
 
The room has all the necessary amenities.
1 more photo

Tour conditions

Group
up to 17 tourists
Minimum age
7 years old
Duration
8 days 7 nights
Group meets at
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

Included in price

  • guided tours according to the program;
  • transfers according to the program;
  • accommodation in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk;
  • accommodation on the island Iturup standard rooms in the Kasatka Guest house or similar;
  • meals specified in the tour program (6 breakfasts + 1 breakfast with you, 3 lunches + 1 tasting, 1 camping snack, 2 dinners);
  • transportation services on the routes;
  • accompanied by professional instructors on all routes;
  • entrance tickets to the museum;
  • registration of permits for staying in the border zone on the island Iturup;
  • accident insurance, insurance coverage up to 100,000 rubles.

Paid extra

  • air and railway tickets to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and back;
  • air tickets on the route (air ticket price 2024. If the cost increases, the difference is paid additionally): Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk — Kurilsk / Kurilsk — Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (surcharge when booking a tour):
    • adult — 15,800 rubles/person.;
    • children (2-12 years old) — 8,900 rubles/person.;
  • meals not included in the tour program and dinners on the island. Iturup, indicated in the program marked "independently";
  • guaranteed room with amenities in the guest house "Kasatka" — 6000 rubles per room.
  • entrance tickets to the springs (extra charge):
    • "Baths" — 1500 rubles /person.;
    • "Hot waters" — 1500 rubles/person.;
    • thermal springs on the Baransky volcano – 3000 rubles/person.

It's important to know

Personal equipment you need for the tour

Camping equipment:

  • clothes:
    • a warm sweater;
    • warm wool socks;
    • windbreaker;
    • windproof and waterproof jacket;
    • raincoat;
    • thermal underwear;
    • t-shirts;
    • shorts;
    • bathing suit;
  • headdress, accessories:
    • a panama hat or a cap;
    • knitted hat;
    • sunglasses;
    • cotton gloves;
  • shoes:
    • comfortable sneakers, worn, with a tenacious sole or trekking boots, waterproof sneakers;
    • sandals for walking on water, slates.

On each route, you must have a change of clothes and shoes with you.

Documents:

  • passport, voucher;
  • medical insurance policy;
  • insurance policy;
  • birth certificate (if a child is flying with you).
What is necessary to obtain passes to the Kuril Islands?
Are plane tickets included in the price of the tour?
Are there any possible changes in the program?
How are the entrance fees to the thermal springs paid?
Is insurance included in the price of the tour?

Dates and Prices

  • from
    $1,533
    11 – 18 Jun, 2025 8 days 7 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now
  • from
    $1,533
    18 – 25 Jun, 2025 8 days 7 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now
  • from
    $1,533
    2 – 9 Jul, 2025 8 days 7 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now
  • from
    $1,533
    9 – 16 Jul, 2025 8 days 7 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now
  • from
    $1,533
    10 – 17 Sep, 2025 8 days 7 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now

Reviews

  • AA
    Alexey Alexandrovich Tolmachev
    13 Nov, 2024
    about provider
    The experience was incredible: the vast Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Okhotsk, rolling hills, volcanoes, mountain roads by jeep, miles of sea journeys, and new friends along the way. In Kurilsk, we were warmly welcomed and surrounded by kind, helpful people. A special thanks to Guram and Svetlana, Igor and Nikita. And many thanks to the 'Big Country' team, especially Dmitry. Explore the wonders of Russia...
    13 Nov, 2024
    2 more photos